Firms Race to Raise Cash

By

Telis Demos

March 6, 2013 7:18 p.m. ET

Companies are taking advantage of the stock market's record-breaking rally to raise funds. The rush to sell shares is a sign of U.S. corporations' desire to boost growth by investing and acquiring rivals after years spent licking the wounds inflicted by the financial crisis.

As the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed toward its peak, which it reached on Tuesday and topped again on Wednesday, companies ranging from home builders to...